"Asked Myself, Can I Do It Again?" Ishan Kishan's Honest Reflection During 32-Ball 76

India wicket-keeper batter Ishan Kishan marked a brilliant return to the national team ahead of the T20 World Cup, smashing a quick-fire 76 off just 32 balls in the second T20I against New Zealand on Friday. Ishan, backed by the selectors for a top-order role over Shubman Gill, didn't have the best of an outing in the series opener against the Kiwis. The southpaw, after his arrival in the middle during the second T20I, admitted that doubts crept into his mind about his own performance. But, he is delighted to have answered those doubts with runs.

"I asked myself one question, can I do it again or not? And I had a very clear answer. I felt I could bat through the innings and play good shots. I just needed to get runs somewhere to answer my questions. Even if I got out, I just wanted to play good cricket, that was it," he said after the match.

Ishan had the company of India skipper Suryakumar Yadav, a player he has also batted with in the Indian Premier League (IPL) when the two were teammates at the Mumbai Indians.

Ishan earned a recall to the Indian team on the back of splendid performances in domestic cricket. The left-handed batter gave the runs he scored in domestic cricket the due credit, as those performances helped him carry the same form on the international stage.

"I was just looking to score runs. Sometimes it's important to do it for yourself, to answer your own questions about how you're batting and whether you're capable of playing for India. That's why it was important for me to play domestic cricket and get runs. The good part was that we won the trophy as well, and I carried that confidence here. So it was a pretty good day for me," he further said.

The job for Ishan or the Indian team isn't done yet, with three more matches to go in the T20I series against New Zealand. 

Topics mentioned in this article

India Cricket Team New Zealand Cricket Team Ishan Kishan India vs New Zealand 2026 Cricket